BOHOL TRAVEL GUIDE: Top Tours And 3 Most Popular Things To Do

May 15, 2023

BOHOL TRAVEL GUIDE: Top Tours and 3 Most Popular Things To Do

The way the island of Bohol has captured my water and adventure spirits was never been a surprise to me at all. I knew the moment I set foot on the island that it will be one of my favorite islands along with Siquijor, Siargao, Cebu, and Coron.

Bohol is a top-tier destination for beach bums, thrill-seekers and it’s a freediver’s paradise. This ultimate Bohol travel guide is for people like me who enjoys adventure both on land and underwater, and love chilling out or going extreme. I stayed in Bohol for over a week and then I never stopped coming back. It’s like a craving that I couldn’t get out of my system no matter what. Bohol will always be on my top three answer if someone would ask me about my favorite province in the Philippines.

TOP 3 MOST RECOMMENDED TOURS IN BOHOL

Before I visitedBohol, I have already researched the things that I wanted to do – listed down all tourist attractions and read other people’s blogs to get an idea of the itinerary and budget.

COUNTRYSIDE TOUR — The Best Land Tour in Bohol

The countryside tour is Bohol’s most recommended and highly popular tour. If you visit Panglao Bohol for the first time, you’d get a lot of offers to do the countryside tour.

The typical Bohol countryside tour will take you to Bohol attractions that are inland. Depending on the itinerary, the tour usually takes around 6 to 8 hours, so it will take up a considerable amount of time in your day. Make sure you plan accordingly. Here are some of the beautiful places in Bohol that you can expect to see on a Bohol Countryside tour:

CHOCOLATE HILLS – Located throughout the towns of Carmen, Batuan and Sagbayan, the hills consist of about 1,776 mounds of the same general shape. A 220-step concrete ladder will get you to the observation deck at the Chocolate Hill complex.
BOHOL TARSIER CONSERVATION AREA – Here you can see the tarsiers in their natural habitat, where they can reproduce and live a rich life.
BILAR MANMADE FOREST – Also called as Bohol Mahogany Forest, it is a dense forest stretching two kilometers along the border of Loboc and Bilar towns in Bohol. The forest is mainly made up of white and red mahogany trees.
ATV RIDE
LOBOC RIVER CRUISE – Loboc River Cruise is a staple in the Bohol countryside tour itinerary. It’s one of the top things to do in Bohol, and it’s a must!
BACLAYON CHURCH
BLOOD COMPACT SHRINE
HINAGDANAN CAVE

I have written a more detailed

DANAO ADVENTURE PARK — A Must-try Extreme Adventure in Bohol

Danao Adventure Park is a must-visit for thrill-seeker tourists. It is where the longest and tallest zipline in the Philippines is found. It has the deepest free-fall adrenaline activity as well. Not for faint-hearted people but definitely for anybody who loves to go extreme.

Located in Barangay Magtangtang, Danao Adventure Park is a 2-hour drive from Panglao. Here are some activities that I did in Danao Adventure Park.

THE PLUNGE – I was advised to do ‘The Plunge’ first while there are still not a lot of people lining up yet. And my thought is you really need to try this one first ’cause my mantra after doing it is once you do the plunge, you can do everything in Danao Adventure Park.
GIANT SWING – I did the second of the most challenging ride here. It tops 3rd for me because the adrenaline feeling is just during the free fall and it gets boring afterwards as you wait for the swing to stop.
SUISLIDE – I’d say this is a heart-pounding ride. I got so scared of this one that it felt like it was the longest minute of my life. I used to say to myself that I would never ever ride a zipline and there I was riding one while laying flat on stomach suspended on a cable watching a view 200 meters above the ground. It’s a two-way ride so, it was worth it.
SKY RIDE – The least of my favorite ride of all the activities that I tried in Danao Adventure Park. It was just challenging to me because of my overthinking that the cable might break and stuff.

FREEDIVING IN BOHOL — The Best Dive Spots in Bohol

As an aspiring freediver, freediving in Bohol is a bucket list that I had proudly checked off of my bucket list! Now, it’s one of my highly recommended destinations for other freedivers out there. The underwater environment and landscapes of Bohol is beyond breathtaking, and it has A LOT to offer — a wreck, sea turtle sanctuary, sardines run, abundant marine life, gentle sea creatures, and an out of this world dive point. Up until this writing, I’m still in awe just by looking at my underwater photos. I post freediving videos on TikTok, too.

I know I haven’t explored everything yet. I might add more to this list if I can dive more spots, but here are the best dive spots to freedive in Bohol.

Napaling Crack – With a depth that will reach to up to 25 meters down to the sea floor, Napaling becomes so popular with freedivers because of its breathtaking coral wall and crack.
Balicasag Island – You will love Balicasag Island because of its two beautiful dive spots – the reef and the sea turtle sanctuary.
Bohol Plane Wreck – Located just off shore South Palm Resort, the plane wreck should be on your dive spot list when you visit Bohol. It’s usually the second spot of the tour after Balicasag Island.
Lila Whaleshark – To dive with these giants of the sea in Lila Bohol is an experience of a lifetime as a freediver. It is tremendously popular for tourists in Bohol and it’s amazing to see them up close and personal.
#Freediving – This spot that I knew from TikTok videos and I’m happy to have known that it’s located in Bohol, so I had to see it. Include this on your itinerary when you go see the whalesharks in Lila.
Estaca Reef – A surprising reef spot for me and it’s so beautiful there — calm water, no current, and the visibility is chef kiss.

On the list are the most popular ones and most of it can be enjoyed by a beginner to an expert freedivers. You don’t need to be certified to dive on these spots, but I highly suggest to book a certified freediver to safely guide you. If you’d like to know more, I have written down a dive guide about freediving in Bohol. There are tips, my exact dive days itinerary, and budget so you can plan your freediving trip properly.

>> ARE YOU PLANNING YOUR FREEDIVING TRIP IN BOHOL SOON? Read My Dive Guide With Tips, Itinerary and Budget Here!

WHERE TO STAY IN PANGLAO BOHOL

MOON FOOLS HOSTEL — A Budget Hostel Near Alona Beach IN PANGLAO

With free WiFi at the lounge area, Moon Fools hostel is my go-to hostel in Pangla Bohol as a solo female traveler. The hostel offers an eco-friendly accommodation with free light breakfast located right in the middle of the tourist hub of Alona Beach. It’s literally just a minute walk to coffee shops, restaurants, fast food chains, grocery store and more.

Other budget hotels and resort that you might want to check out in Panglao, Bohol.

CAPTAIN’S LODGE
MAD MONKEY HOSTEL
ULTRA MINT DIVE RESORT
BOHOL CATTLEYA RESORT

WHERE TO EAT AND DRINK IN PANGLAO BOHOL

I have so many recommendations as I have been visiting Panglao Bohol quite often. I suggest that you bookmark this blog post and check it from time to time for updates of this list.